[Ansteorra] Rethinking the hydration paradigm

[Renee Pitcock]

I'm not saying caffeine is evil.  I am pointing out that singling out the caffeine as the only factor that could cause issues during the rehydration process is oversimplification.  Too much simple sugar during rehydration CAN be a bad thing, and sodas definitely have simple sugars in abundance.
 
~Morina O'Donovan


________________________________
 From: Tim McDaniel <tmcd at panix.com>
To: "Kingdom of Ansteorra - SCA, Inc." <ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org> 
Sent: Saturday, February 25, 2012 6:38 PM
Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] Rethinking the hydration paradigm
 
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661
backs up the statements on caffeinated drinks.
I've reported on such studies before, and had the same people come
back later with the same unsourced "caffeine is eeevil".

Morina O'Donovan / Renee Pitcock <elwenaduialloth at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Yet this discussion fails to take into account other factors such as
> excess simple sugars in the soft drinks.  It is often not considered
> a good idea to flood your body with sugar after strenuous exercise.
> Rather, more complex starches like breads, pastas, and crackers are
> preferred.  In particular, soft drinks are high in fructose, which
> is rapidly digested, but not necessarily turned into glycogen to
> help replenish reserve energy stores.  It is more likely to be
> digested and converted to excess fat than anything else, and it
> still leaves the body with less than satisfactory reserves of
> energy.  Plus, when the body DOES have excess glucose in the blood
> stream, it can choose to excrete the excess in urine, which does
> lead to increased water loss due to osmotic pressure in the kidneys.
> The other substances like dyes and such in sodas that cannot be
> digested will have a similar effect.  Looking at only the caffeine
> in sodas in an overly simplistic view of things.  Bottom line, it's
> usually wiser to drink water, replenish electrolytes, and ingest
> complex carbs FIRST, then look at your sodas.

I've heard "caffeine is eeevil" for years, and this list just got a
debunking with attributed sources.  Now above are five more assertions
without supporting evidence adduced.  What are good sources that
support them?

"A little Googling is a dangerous thing
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."

But I'll tread forth anyway.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/104432-drinks-rehydrating-body-after-workout/
seems to have a good summary, citing a couple of articles I touch on
below, and giving several options.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/04/how-sugar-affects-the-body-in-motion/,
from last May, reports on several studies.  Note that many talk about
endurance athletes with major exercise -- at least one study had
people cycle to exhaustion, do something, then cycle to exhaustion
again.

It states "All sugars, including sucrose, or table sugar, and
high-fructose corn syrup, which usually consists of almost equal
portions of glucose and fructose, are converted into glucose, and
stored as glycogen, in the body. Strenuous exercise diminishes or
exhausts this liver glycogen, and until those stores are replenished,
the body isn't fully ready for another exercise bout."

It then reports that it looks like glucose+fructose together replenish
glycogen levels, and "a large body of earlier research suggesting that
fructose is particularly useful for avid athletes".

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sports-drinks/MY01209 says that
low-fat milk and low-fat chocolate milk are fine sports drinks.
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/superfoods/chocolate-milk-after-workout/
reports more on this.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ00594_D/NSECTIONGROUP=2
mentions eating after exercise, with both carbohydrates and protein,
and it has a number of suggestions for different foods, with "If you
aren't hungry after your workout, drink juice or a sports drink to
provide replenishing carbohydrates."  (My God!  Fruit has that eeevil
*fructose*!)

But most of this advice is only for the serious athlete.  "'If someone
goes for a 30-minute walk, the duration and intensity will be too
short' for sugar to make a difference in terms of performance".  For
me, mostly worrying about sitting around at Castleton when the
temperature is near 100, it probably doesn't matter mcuh what I drink,
but lots of water is probably best for me -- I'm going to be noshing
enough on lunch and snacks and such to replenish anything I'm sweating
out.

And one of those articles ends with something to the effect of
"Everybody is different.  Pay attention to your body, and the effects
of exercise, food, and drink."

And when I hear about how such-and-so hydrating drink is eeevil, I
will, if you'll pardon the expression, take it with a grain of salt.

Danyll Lincoln
-- Tim McDaniel, tmcd at panix.com
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